It’s been 10 years already… That’s when I started this blog. TEN YEARS AGO! I have wanted to pursue writing for so long. I remember writing poems in high school and in college – before I became a Christian – when I would walk around a campus of 20,000 people and feel utterly alone and dejected. My notebook was there as I would spill my heart out on it’s pages. In my writing I would search so hard for God and for understanding. And then, he showed himself to me… This dream of writing has continued to come back and haunt me, so I started the blog. 10 years later and I am just now – this year – starting to really try and build this page. God, please forgive me for sitting on this dream for so long. My weaknesses and fear have held me back. I’m finally at the point where I’m okay with not being the best writer. I just have to do this because it burns in my bones and if I can only reach one person … no, even if I never reach anyone, I want to obey him as this desire he has placed in me. I’m finally taking a stand – at 35 years old…15 years too late and yet right on time as he has grown me along the way.
I continue to be amazed at how God puts things in my life right when I need it. For example, when I was living in Idaho, my guy Tim put me on Eric Thomas, who was someone that really helped me in a much needed attitude/outlook adjustment. After I moved back to Indiana, I spent some good time reconnecting with one of my brothers, Kyle, who was all hyped up about this Broadway Play by the name of Hamilton – only 4 years too late for me. (Praise God for my many brothers who have been such a blessing at critical points in my life!) I had never heard of it. I was not familiar with Mr. Miranda’s work before this, but looking into the play and learning its soundtrack, amazing work. This play and it’s threads throughout are so well done!
It’s hard for me to explain just how much this soundtrack is sweeping up my spirit! I am trying to forge my character to be more Hamilton-like and that has been on me for years. Finding this play helped put words, music and movements to how I have been feeling! Unfortunately, I have always been a fairly broken and insecure person. I have tended to live in the shadows of other men. I walk around with a burden of failures. Instead of being Hamilton, I am really Burr. Yes, Burr, but I’m at the point I am finding these shadows to be too…chilly. It’s time to step out into the light and not waste my shot! I mean, the world’s in such turmoil and we have the opportunity to speak life and stand on the right side of historic moments – how lucky we are to be alive right now. It’s time to grow and fight and start writing like I’m running out of time...yes, that would be enough. I’m hoping I can actually go and see the show sometime when I have the funds and time to do so! And although there have been several things that led up to this moment, this play has been the most recent piece in the puzzle for me.
In terms of building this page, this has been a wonderful 4 1/2 months. I appreciate all the encouragement, support and pointers that many of you have given. Several of you have reached out to me personally through comments and emails as well. It’s been such a blessing coming across so many great writers and amazing stories; authors that have inspired, moved, encouraged, challenged, and humored me. I wanted to tag a few people in here, but I realized that it would quickly be over about 20 people and that would be a little crazy to fit in. Just know, especially for those of you that I have gone back and forth with over email or comments, I appreciate your work and the encouragement shown.
I do want to make at least one shout out though. My goal this year was to at least put up one post a week. And then, I ran across this very intriguing and engaging site that was informative and humorous. While engaging with some of these posts, I was drawn into a challenge all of the sudden to write a post a day from A-Z. Well, not to be shown up too easily, I took the challenge on, of course! This has been a huge blessing for me and has challenged me to work harder on my writing and staying faithful to the task. It’s been great exercise over this past week. Little Rants, thank you for the challenge and for the likes, comments and encouragement along the way. I appreciate it!
I am looking forward to growing as I continue to grind and hopefully produce some stuff you all can enjoy and glean from!
Before we go on this post, one quick funny story on this topic. As I’ve said I have been listening to this soundtrack quite a bit lately and every once in a while I listen to it while the kids are riding with me. Well, this week our youngest, who is three, was walking around the house while the other two were at school. She had a hair band and a little barrette. She was pretending it was her sling shot and she was shooting it while making sound effects (pew, pew, pew). Then, all of the sudden, she started singing, “I’m not throwing away my shot!” That’s right baby girl! I’m praying your daddy will do the same.
“The opportunity of a lifetime needs to be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity.”
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Let’s continue to grow! Blessings.
© Joshua Curtis, 2019
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